After arriving in Paris mid-morning, after our train ride from London, we immediately boarded a bus to take a driving tour of the city. Our first stop, the Peace Memorial to take pictures with the Eiffel Tower!
From there we traveled to an island on the Seine River that housed Notre Dame. Our local guide was an art historian who spent a lot of time explaining the history and context of the artwork on the church to us.
After our lesson in art history, we stopped at the hotel to drop off our luggage and rest a bit before going out to dinner. We had a "French Bistro" meal with lots of fun things to try and delicious creme brule for dessert!
After dinner we took a night cruise of the Seine River and had an awesome view of Paris all lit up!
Off to bed to rest up for tomorrow!
Day Two:
Free day to visit and explore on our own (or with other members of our group).
Here are some highlights of what our group enjoyed...
Paris Opera House - inspiration for Phantom of the Opera
The Lourve - Housing the famous Mona Lisa as well as many other notorious pieces of art.
The French Open - some of the travelers attended the French open and saw Andy Roddick play.
Day Three:
Another free day.
Palace of Versailles - Our tour directors organized a trip to Versailles, in the outskirts of Paris, in the morning.
Eiffel Tower - Some of our group took the opportunity to climb the Eiffel Tower in the afternoon.
Moulin Rouge - Most of the group spent the evening at the historic Moulin Rouge, drinking French champagne and watching the show.
Day Four:
Our last day in Paris before heading off to Rome! We made sure to squeeze in some more sightseeing! Our tour directors organized a trip to a perfume factory and some of the more adventurous travelers explored the artist districts, while others walked the book stalls along the Seine River.
Sacré-Cœur Basilica- "Basilica of the Sacred Heart"
Chelsea
